“Clarke looks like shit so my guess is they’ve had some sort of lovers’ tiff. Send a team over to Helen’s address. If Bates is on the move—”
And Jaxon Bates?
“What the hell’s going on?” Seb spun Grice around. “What do you want with Helen?”
Grice sidestepped, but Seb grabbed him by his shirt collar and pinned him against the wall.
“Easy, Clarke.”
“What’re you up to?” Seb gripped harder. “Who are you sending over to Helen’s home?”
“It’s in your interest to let me go.” Grice’s usual clueless air was replaced with something steely and serious. As soon as Seb eased off, Grice pulled out a badge. “You’re close to obstructing a police operation.”
Oh, god. They were on to her already!
Seb jolted back.
He had to warn her, tell her to run. He couldn’t let them get her.
“Why didn’t Helen come with you this morning?” Grice asked.
“I stayed at a hotel last night.”
“Have you heard anything from her today?”
“No.” She’d stopped calling, after he’d confirmed she’d beenso easily replaceable.
“If she gets in touch, call 999 immediately.” Grice moved past him.
“Wait! Where are you going?”
“To find Helen.”
“To arrest her?”
“No.” Grice looked back over his shoulder. “To keep her safe.”
Helen checked her phone. She’d spent the night hoping Sebastian would call once he’d calmed down—once he’d begun to think logically—and finally, he texted.
I’ll come by tonight.
What? That’s it?
No,I’m sorry for being a hot-headed idiot?
No,I’m sorry for assuming the worst of you—again?
Helen switched her phone off and dumped it on the kitchen worktop.
How could he just walk out on her like that?
She glanced at the time. The Wags would’ve arrived by now, Sebastian would be getting ready to race with Nadine, and Helen was now officially superfluous to requirement. Sebastian had his Strive contract intact, his good reputation restored, and he clearly didn’t want to be weighed down with the baggage of Helen Hobbs anymore.
She got it. She’d got too close and now Sebastian wanted out. Finding her work yesterday had given him that exit point.Easy. He put the blame on Helen so he had a reason to walk away—to retreat—and not look back.
Helen dressed into shorts and a blue T-shirt she picked up off her bedroom floor then sat at her laptop. Ousting Sebastian from her mind, she focused on the final piece of code she had to get done for Jaxon’s trap.
The cyberunit planned to run through it tomorrow without her, but as soon as Helen got this done, she’d contact Nazir and ask to go to the police station today. After telling Nazir that Sebastian would want her with him at the event, Helen hadn’t mentioned she wouldn’t actually be attending. It was just too embarrassing. Like Jaxon, Sebastian was another man Helen had figured out wrong.
